Andre Pirlo: I Almost Joined Chelsea

Italian star Andrea Pirlo has revealed that he had agreed to join Chelsea in 2009.
Then at AC Milan, the veteran midfielder says that he was set to follow Carlo Ancelotti
to Stamford Bridge.
However, he was persuaded to stay by Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi before later moving
to Juventus in 2011.

"It was August 2009 and I'd reached agreement with Chelsea, the club where Ancelotti
had just come in as manager," Pirlo revealed in his autobiography - I Think Therefore I
Play, which has been printed in English for the first time.
"Carlo was like a father and a teacher for me, a kind, friendly man who knew how to
make things fun.
"I'd spent the best years of my career with him. If you're a player who wants to get on
and give everything, you won't find anyone better than him.
"Carlo Ancelotti was my motivation for agreeing to head to London. But, in the
meantime, Berlusconi had pulled out a second piece of paper.
"This time there were loads of names with ticks next to them, and one that had been
circled. 'Stay. We've signed Huntelaar'. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is an excellent player. He
knows how to score goals, loads of goals and, at that point in time, he was playing for
Real Madrid. But he's not the type of guy who's going to win the Ballon d'Or.
"'Listen, Andrea, you just can't do this, damn it. You're the symbol of Milan, a standard
bearer for this team, and we've already sold Kaka. You can't jump ship as well. It'd be a
terrible blow, to our image as much as anything. We can't have everyone leaving.'
"Ancelotti and I spoke a fair bit on the phone. He wanted to bring me to London at all
costs, and cost was indeed the last hurdle still to be overcome. Insurmountable, as it
transpired.

 
"Milan wanted too much cash, and they were also pushing for Branislav Ivanovic to be
included in the deal. Chelsea hadn't the slightest intention of letting the defender go.
"As it turned out, I moved to Juventus. That's Berlusconi all over, though. He's theatrical
and knows exactly what he wants. It's what makes him such a fantastic president and
lover of pure, beautiful football."

Quitting
Pirlo also revealed that he thought about quitting after AC Milan's 2005 Champions
League loss to Liverpool.
"I thought about quitting because, after Istanbul, nothing made sense any more,"

He declared.
"The 2005 Champions League final simply suffocated me.